Anime Expo 2026 has unveiled its major programming slate for July 2-5 in Los Angeles, featuring world premieres, advance screenings, and high-profile panels spanning Bleach, Re:Zero, and Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2.
Anime Expo 2026 has locked in its programming lineup for July 2-5 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, delivering a packed slate of world premieres, advance screenings, and industry panels that spans some of anime's biggest active franchises.
The convention's headline attractions include an advance screening of Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Final Part Episode 1, presented by VIZ with guests Masakazu Morita (Ichigo Kurosaki) and Johnny Yong Bosch (Hollow Ichigo). The screening marks the first public look at the conclusion of the long-running Thousand-Year Blood War adaptation.
Black Torch will also receive a world premiere of its first episode in a subbed screening, presented jointly by VIZ and Crunchyroll. Voice actors AJ Beckles and Keith Silverstein will attend the event. Meanwhile, Magic Knight Rayearth is set for its own world premiere screening, with voice actress Rie Takahashi confirmed as a guest.
Netflix, CD Projekt Red, and Studio Trigger are teaming up to deliver the first major look at Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 Welcome Back to Night City, the sequel to the critically acclaimed 2022 anime. Details on the format of the presentation have not yet been specified beyond it being the franchise's first significant public reveal.
Kadokawa is marking its tenth anniversary at Anime Expo with a producers roundtable and a premiere screening of Re:Zero Season 4 Episode 1. The screening takes place July 3 at the JW Platinum venue from 5:00 to 6:50 PM, covering the opening episode of the Recapture Arc. Season 4 comprises 19 episodes split across two parts the Loss Arc and the Recapture Arc with the latter's eight episodes scheduled to begin streaming from August 12, 2026. The adaptation draws from Arc 6 of Tappei Nagatsuki's original light novels.
The anniversary roundtable on July 3 features producers from three of Kadokawa's flagship franchises: Sho Tanaka (Re:Zero), Rie Ogura (KonoSuba), and Chiaki Kurakane (Bungo Stray Dogs). All three producers will participate in autograph sessions at the JW Marriott Gold Ballroom.
Beyond the screenings, Anime Expo 2026 features panels dedicated to Jujutsu Kaisen, Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Steel Ball Run: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, and Cherry Magic! manga creator Yuu Toyota. A Hatsune Miku panel rounds out the programming on the pop-culture side.
Ticketed events include the J-POP Sound Capsule concert, featuring artists ALI, Roselia, and SPYAIR, along with the Sukeban World Championship Fight showcasing Japanese female pro-wrestling. Partners confirmed across the convention include TOHO Animation, Good Smile Company, and Square Enix.
Kadokawa is also hosting its KADOKAWA WORLD MANGA initiative throughout the convention from July 2-5, offering overseas manga creators a structured pathway to debut in Japan, with a web novel selection event scheduled for the final day.
With the Bleach finale, Re:Zero's fourth season, and the Edgerunners sequel all making their public debuts in the same weekend, Anime Expo 2026 is shaping up as one of the convention's most stacked programming slates in years. The Re:Zero Recapture Arc streaming launch on August 12 will be the first major release to follow directly from the event.
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